Parentage/origins:
In the 1970s, Drs. Robert Soost and James Cameron, citrus breeders at the University of California at Riverside, made selections of hybrid blood grapefruit-like citrus. These selections were part of crosses originally made in the 1950s that also resulted in the Oroblanco and Melogold (released in 1980 and 1986, respectively). One of the most promising pigmented selections, pummelo hybrid 6C-28-18, resulted from a cross of ‘Siamese Sweet’ pummelo x (‘Dancy’ mandarin x ‘Ruby’ blood orange). A virus-free budwood source was established at Lindcove Research and ExtensionCenter, Exeter, California, in 1997 as VI 597.

TS and DK:Valentine fruit was formally evaluated by the Citrus Variety Collection from January to March of years 2006, 2007, and 2008. Valentine fruit are round to somewhat pyriform in shape, usually with a slight to pronounced neck at the fruit base (stem end), but in some cases the neck is absent, resulting in a more typical spheroid grapefruit-like shape. The fruit apex (blossom end) is rounded and smooth. Rind color is medium to dark yellow for fruit harvested in Riverside in mid-February, with similar values for fruit harvested from the Lindcove Research and ExtensionCenter in Exeter. Valentine does have seeds, averaging somewhere in the 20's per fruit. The rind is moderately easy to peel when fruits are mature. ‘Valentine’ combines large size and low acidity from its pummelo parent, complex, floral taste from ‘Dancy,’ and juicy red pulp from ‘Ruby.’

It received its name from former Staff Research Associate for the Citrus Variety Collection Ottillia ‘Toots’ Bier, who nicknamed it ‘Valentine’ not only because the fruit matures in mid-February near the Valentine’s Day holiday, but also because when the fruit is cut length-wise and turned upside down, the flesh of the fruit resembles a vibrant red heart. It is unique in being a grapefruit-like fruit with anthocyanin pigmentation, which is a potential marketing advantage at a time when many antioxidant-rich fruits, such as pomegranate, blueberry and blackberry, have seen sales burgeon because of their perceived health benefits. The ‘Valentine’ fruit is attractive, juicy, sweet and distinctive.

‘Valentine’ doesn’t quite fit the mold for characteristic determinants for maturity, mainly the solids:acid ratio. At both Riverside and Lindcove, ‘Valentine’ would reach legal maturity in late December to early January, a time when the internal pigmentation is minimal. ‘Valentine’ reaches complete pigmentation in February when the solids:acid ratio is an average of 16:1. A ratio of this level produces an extremely sweet and delicious fruit.

Availability: Commercially available through the Citrus Clonal Protection Program during the September 2009 budwood cut.